Automatic playing mechanism for musical instruments working with a plurality of records.



A. & 0. PHILIPPS. AUTOMATIC PLAYING MEGHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTSWORKING WITH A PLURALITY 0F RECORDS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1913.

Patented Nov. 3,- 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST PHILIPPS AND OSWALD PHILIPPS, OF FRANKFQRT-ON-IHE-MAIN, GERMANY.

AUTOMATIC PLAYING MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRIJ'MENTS 'WOR-KING WITH APLURALITY OF RECORDS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, AUGUST PHILiPrs andOswALn Pmnrrrs, subjects of the German Emperor, and residents ofFrankfort on-the-Main, Germany, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Playing Mechanism for Musical InstrumentsWorking with a Plurality of Records, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to musical instruments operated by mechanismwhich is controlled by playing records such as perforated sheets ormusic rolls. The invention is applicable to such instruments wherein aplurality of perforated records are used, for causing to be playedsimultaneously by separate records a melody and its accompaniment, thetwo parts of a duet, and so forth. In such cases it is essential toprovide means for controlling the speed of movement of the respectiverecords in order to secure proper synchronism in the playing.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a simple apparatuswhereby the movement of the records may be synchronized in an automaticmanner.

A further object is to provide pneumatic apparatus whereby the supply ofthe working fluid to the respective motors which actuate the respectiverecords may be controlled for the purpose of securing synchronism.

These objects are attained according to the present invention byproviding the records with a series of small holes at definiteintervals, and arranging that these holes shall move over correspondingopenings in the tracker bars or the like in playing from the records.The openings in the tracker bars or the like communicate with pneumaticapparatus by means of which for instance, when one record falls behindthe other in its movement, more working fluid is supplied to the motorwhich drives the retarded record until it again overtakes the otherrecord. The pneumatic apparatus need not necessarily effect the controlby this particular method, but it might effect it for instance bythrottling the supply of fluid to the motor of the advanced record, orotherwise checking its movement.

The invention is shown diagrammatically by way of example, in theaccompanying drawing, in an arrangement wherein two Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed January 6, 1913.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

SeriaI No. 740,533.

perforated tune sheets are used, driven by pneumatic motors of a knowntype.

In the drawings the two perforated tune sheets are marked I and II, thetake up rolls of the respective tune sheets being driven by pneumaticmotors marked 70 and 70 The note sheets I and II are formed with holes aand a in corresponding positions and at regular intervals apart, and theapertures in the tracker bars 7) and over which these holes pass, areconnected by pipes o 0 to the pneumatic controlling device. Thiscomprises a wind chest 0, in which a pair of valve members (Z, (Z arearranged. The pipes, 0, 0 open in recesses in the wind chest 6 belowmembranes or bellows at the bottom of the valve stems, while the valveheads work in chambers g, g at the other end. These chambers arenormally open to the atmosphere through the openings at f, 7. lVhenevereither of the valves (Z or d is raised owing to the pressure of air frombelow, its head closes the opening f or f and exposes the openingconnecting the chamber 9 or g with the wind chest 0. The valve (Z isshown as being raised in this way. Pipes 71,, it lead from the chambersg, g to the bellows a, i of the controlling mechanism. In the exampleillustrated, this mechanism controls the flow of air to or from the windmotors 7c and 70 through the pipes Z and P, a slide valve m, and a pipen. This air supply is in addition to the main supply by which the motors7a and 70 are driven. Either of the motors which receives auxiliary windin this way for a short time, will quicken its movements slightly owingto the extra wind. Hence the corresponding tune sheet will move on morequickly in order to bring it into synchronism with the other tune sheet.The bellows i and i are connected by rods to the slide valve m so thatthis valve will be moved toward one side or other if one or other of thebellows is collapsed while the other is free to expand. As the holes a,a are continually passing over the apertures of the respective trackerbars Z), 6 the valves (Z, (Z are normally actuated simultaneously, whenthe slide m is held central under the equal opposed actions of the twobellows i and i Assuming that the apparatus is to operate with airsuction, the working thereof is as follows. The tune sheet IIisindicated as having fallen slightly behind the tune sheet I, and ahole a of the latter is over the corresponding aperture of the trackerbar 7), while the corresponding hole a of the tune sheet ll has not yetreached its tracker bar aperture. Hence atmospheric air can enterthrough hole a and pipe 0 and press up the membrane of the valve (Z, asthe air in the chest 6 is exhausted. The chamber 9 consequently has itsopening f closed, and air is drawn out of the bellows 71 through thepipe h, chamber 9 and the chest 6. bellows 2' will consequently collapsewhile the air has free access to the bellows i so that the slide m is atonce moved toward the right as shown, connecting the pipe Z of the motor70 with the auxiliary wind pipe n, while the pipe Z is closed. Hence themotor 70 is accelerated by the auxiliary air as is required, until theholes a a of the two tune sheets come simultaneously over their trackerbar aperture, when the forces tending to move the slide m equalize orcounteract one another and it assumes a mid position.

We claim 1. In an automatic playing mechanism for musical instruments,in combination with a plurality of synchronically moving note sheets,having perforations and the motors therefor, a recessed wind chest,valve members within said chest provided with membranes at one end andwith valve heads at the opposite end, tracker bars for said note sheets,and pipes connecting said tracker bars with the recess of said windchest below said membranes, chambers for said valve heads normallycommunicating with the atmosphere, a controlling device having a slidevalve, means for connectlng said con- The trolling device with said Windchest for the operation of said slide valve upon the closing of one ofsaid chambers against the atmospherc, and means connected to said slidevalve for supplying auxiliary air to the motor for the lagging sheet forincreasing its speed in order to synchronize the movements of bothsheets.

2. In an automatic playing mechanism for musical instruments, incombination with a plurality of synchronically moving note sheets havingperforations and the motors therefor, a recessed wind chest, valvemembers within said chest provided with membranes on one end and valveheads on the opposite end, tracker bars for said note sheets, and pipesconnecting said tracker bars with the recess of said Wind chest, be-

low said membranes, chambers for said valve heads, normallycommunicating with the atmosphere, a controlling device having a slidevalve, bellows and pipes connecting said controlling device with saidwind chest for the alternate operation of said slide valve upon theclosing of the corresponding chamber against the atmosphere, and an airsupply pipe connected to said slide valve for supplying auxiliary air tothe motor of the lagging sheet and for increasing its speed in order tosynchronize the movements of said note sheets.

In testimony, whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

AUGUST PHILIPPS. OSWALD PHILIPPS. YVitnesses:

JEAN GRUND, CARL GRUND.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. G.

